Chicken Shawarma Tacos is a Middle Eastern-inspired taco recipe that contains spiced baked Chicken, onion, parsley, and tomatoes and drizzled with tahini sauce in tortilla bread. It is nutritious, low in cholesterol, and a delicious sandwich.

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As a half Arab, I love shawarma, and it is one of my favorite sandwiches I have ever eaten. When I was young living in the Middle East, chicken shawarma was the first sandwich I tried in my life. It is rich in Arabian spices, and the white sauce makes it better.

Shawarma is a very popular staple food in the Middle East and Arab countries where we served pita bread with fillings of meat, pickles, and toum sauce. In addition to that, the locals also serve with tahini sauce instead of garlic sauce.

But in this post, I am going to make something different, where instead of pita bread, I am will be using a small tortilla bread for my taco recipe.

What is this recipe?

It is made from homemade tortilla bread which is loaded with marinated chicken that is baked in the oven. It contains slices of red onion infused with sumac, chopped parsley, and tomatoes. Lastly, I drizzle my taco with tahini sauce or yogurt garlic sauce since they both blends well in this recipe.

My chicken shawarma taco is not traditional since this is an Arabian and Mexican fusion dish. But the taste is so delicious that it will melt in your mouth.

Recipe Ingredients for the Tortilla Bread

Here are the ingredients you need to make the tortilla bread.

Flour: I am using all-purpose white flour

Vegetable Oil: You can use canola oil, or any neutral flavored vegetable oil

Baking Powder: This will help make the flour rise up

Other Ingredient: Salt & Water

Recipe Ingredient for Marinated Chicken

These are the ingredients you need to make this delicious chicken shawarma tacos:

Chicken: You can use either Boneless chicken breast or chicken thigh

Yogurt and Lemon: They will help tenderize the chicken. Also, the lemon helps enhance the flavor of the marinated meat by adding an acidic flavor.

Tomato Paste: This one serves more as food coloring where you make the chicken red.

Olive Oil: I am using extra virgin olive oil

Spices: Here are the important spices when marinating the chicken:

• Coriander Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Turmeric
• Allspice
• Salt & Black pepper

Ingredients for Tahini Sauce and Vegetable Fillings

Tahini Sauce: For the sauce, all you need is just water, lemon juice and tahini paste

Vegetable Fillings: For the fillings for taco, you will need parsley, red onion and tomatoes.

How to make the Tortilla Bread

• Firstly I mix the white flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
• After that, I pour water, and then I mixed to stir. Make sure you knead with your hand until the dough is soft and fluffy.
• Next, I transfer the dough to the large wooden board where I use my hand to roll it into a cylindrical shape. Use the knife to cut and divide into 4 pieces.
• Use your hand to make it into a ball shape.

• Use the rolling pin to make a large round dough, like you are making a pizza.
• Next, I use a small cup to press it down and make a small tortilla bread. Make as many mini tortilla bread as you can and separate them on a plate
• Lastly, in a skillet, I place the flatbread on it and let it cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until there is a light brown spot. I flip to the opposite side and repeat the process.

Cooking Instruction

I. For Marinating and Baking the Chicken

• I place the boneless chicken breast into the bowl where I then mixed the spices, yogurt, lemon, and olive oil. Mix gently using the spoon.
• After that, I store it in the fridge for 6 hours since this will help the chicken absorb the flavor of the spices.
• It is preferred but optional if you store it in the fridge overnight. Also, if you have limited time, you can just marinate the chicken and keep it in the fridge for 1 hour.

• Once it is already in the fridge for long enough, I remove the chicken and transfer it into the baking pan with foil on it.
• Transfer into the oven and let it bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 220 C or 420 F.
• Once done, I broil or place the chicken on the upper rack and let it bake for 5 more minutes or until it turns into a light charred at 250 C.
• Lastly, I remove it from the pan and let it cool down for 5 minutes before I chopped it into smaller pieces.

II. Assembling the Shawarma Tacos

• On each tortilla bread, I put first the chopped tomatoes followed by parsley.
• Next, I add the baked chopped chicken shawarma and then the red onion mixed with sumac.
• You can serve it either before or after drizzling the tacos with tahini sauce.

III. Making the Tahini Sauce

Making the tahini sauce is easy and straightforward. All you have to do is combine ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoons of tahini paste, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a plate bowl. Stir to combine until it reaches your consistency. Just remember the sauce is not supposed to be too thick or too watery.

Variation and Substitution

• If you like it spicy, you can add red hot sauce to the taco
• Instead of parsley, you can use chopped cilantro
• You can use whole wheat flour for the tortilla if you want low-carb
• If you are not a fan of tahini, you can use yogurt garlic sauce. It blends well with my chicken shawarma taco
• In the Philippines, instead of using tortilla bread or any flatbread, people like to serve their dish as chicken shawarma rice which is served on turmeric rice with slices of cucumber, tomatoes, and lettuce, and then it is drizzled with white garlic sauce served on a plate.

Frequently Asked Question

Related Middle Eastern Recipes

Here are other delicious and similar food recipes that you can make at home:

• Jerusalem Mixed Grill
  
• Chicken Fatayer

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